


I'd rather be punched in the face, be sprayed with some mace, than be head over heels

by broadbeard25



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Maybe - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-04
Updated: 2015-10-04
Packaged: 2018-04-24 17:49:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4929295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/broadbeard25/pseuds/broadbeard25
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reyna feels particularly down one day, so she goes on a roadtrip with Hazel and Piper to cheer herself up.</p><p>Title is from the song Love Is Hell by Theory of a Deadman</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'd rather be punched in the face, be sprayed with some mace, than be head over heels

The sky was lit up by a flash of blinding light, followed shortly by the crack of thunder. Several of them struck the ground, splitting the sky like luminous fissures in the vast blackness of the night.  
  
Reyna ran out of her quarters, still in her legion pyjamas with a knife in her belt (be prepared at all times), her fellow Praetor Frank Zhang hot on her heels, both having been woken by the noises so close to them. She looked at where they were coming from and one word sprang to mind.  
  
"Jason." She muttered through her teeth.  
  
"You think Jason's doing that?" Frank asked.  
  
"I don't just think it, I know it. Why he's doing it, I don't know. Let's find out."  
  
They both approached his living quarters. He was only staying at Camp Jupiter for a night or two, as he had other things to do elsewhere. Apparently, the one thing that could not wait on his to do list was Piper.  
  
As they neared his temporary accomodation, they could both hear faint moaning noises over the thunder and lightning. They exchanged glances. Frank was blushing, and Reyna was tempted to kick the door down and scare the shit out of the little lovebirds. She didn't of course. Even she wasn't that nasty. Instead she knocked. The moaning continued. She knocked harder.  
  
"Jason if you don't stop causing thunderbolts to rain down on the camp I will have to break down this door!" She heard the unmistakable sound of sheets moving.  
  
"We'll be like 5 minutes!"  
  
"You'll finish now or you won't finish!" Reyna was really tired. She didn't have time for this nonsense.  
  
"Reyna, let's just go, give them some privacy, if it doesn't stop soon then we can kick the door in and scare them shirtless." Frank decided not to swear. His replacement terminology was poor.  
  
"I believe they're past 'shirtless' at this point, Frank. But fine. Let's go." They both returned to their quarters, but the terrible weather didn't stop for another half hour.  
  
........................  
  
Reyna woke up the next morning, or rather, she tried to. But even she didn't have the willpower to get up after what felt like three hours sleep at most. It wasn't just because of Jason and Piper's shenanigans. It was also due to the inability to stop thinking.  
  
Now, not many demigods were unable to sleep. They usually had dreams or nightmares. Reyna didn't have any. She couldn't stop thinking about how Piper had Jason.  
  
Annabeth had Percy.  
  
Hazel had Frank.  
  
Everyone she knew had found their other half. Last she heard, even Nico di Angelo had started dating someone, a son of Apollo. Will something or other, she thought.  
  
She was the odd one out. She had no one to keep her warm during the cold winter nights. She wanted to have someone to love, someone to cuddle and kiss and wrap her arms around but she couldn't let anyone know that. She couldn't let anyone see that she was a softie at heart. Who would listen to her then? How could she lead like that?  
  
It was what she told herself. Realistically, she could easily have someone like that and no one would bat an eye. Frank, the war machine that had laid waste to hordes of enemies, was as gentle as a flower when it came to Hazel. Everyone in the legion respected him. He was a Praetor, with a loving girlfriend and lots of friends.  
  
Reyna was Praetor too, and she had friends, but none that she was really close to. She couldn't pour her heart out to any of them, least of all Jason. Gods if he only knew...  
  
There was a knock at the door.  
  
"Reyna, get up, we have to go." Fuck. It was Frank.  
  
"Go away." Reyna was too tired to deal with being Praetor.  
  
"No. Get up. You are a Praetor, not a moody teenager. Now get out of your bed."  
  
"Can't I be both?" Reyna was negotiating. With Frank. Bad idea.  
  
"If you don't get up, I'm kicking the door down." Reyna decided fuck it, tell him the truth. What's the worst that could happen? He breaks the door?  
  
"Frank, I'm going to be frank with you. Don't laugh at that. I'm serious. I'm not leaving this room. I'm tired. I'm grumpy. And I want to be left alone. Can you do that for me?"  
  
Just go away, she thought. Make this easy.  
  
Nope.  
  
"Sorry, I can't do that without more info. Details, or I kick the door down. You know I will." He was right. Reyna of all people knew Frank didn't bluff.  
  
She got up and opened the door, stepping aside to let him in. The room was a mess. Unusual for Reyna, but she wasn't exactly in the tidy Roman mood. More of a bitch I will cut you mood.  
  
"So, why the sudden mood change? Seemed fine last night. Something up? What's on your mind?" Reyna avoided his gaze. Fuck, how could she tell him? This was a bad idea.  
  
"Reyna, look at me." After a slight pause, she did.  
  
"I'm not here as a fellow Praetor. I'm here as a friend. Talk to me, Reyna. I won't judge you." Frank, even though he was built like a truck and at times had a strict and authoritative voice, could still speak so softly and calmly, and look like a puppy.  
  
Reyna wasn't sure if it was lots of pent up emotions or Frank's accepting nature, or a mix of the two, but she broke down into tears. She wanted to tell him everything, about how lonely she felt, and how she was so sick and tired of living in fear of showing emotion, but she couldn't speak. She choked up and just kept crying. She hugged Frank. He hugged her back.  
  
"Frank? What's going on?" Hazel. Great. Now she had an audience to her breakdown.  
  
"Hey. Reyna's going through some stuff at the moment, look after her. I should go address everyone."  
  
Look after her, he said. She wasn't weak. She didn't need protected. She was just fine. Other than currently crying in Hazel's arms and struggling to form proper sentences, she was great.  
  
Finally, she managed to speak.  
  
"I'm so tired. Of everything. I'm so lonely. I've never really wanted a boyfriend that badly but lately it's been unbearable. Having to look at you and Frank, or Jason and Piper. It's like the universe is mocking me by making all my friends happy in love, and then having Aphr - sorry, Venus - saying that a demigod will never heal my heart. Why me? I just want to be happy."  
  
Hazel wiped the tears from her eyes.  
  
"Didn't Piper tell you not to worry about that? Look, you're tough as nails. You're beautiful and any man would be lucky to have you. You just need to find that man. And you will. Why don't you find something to take your mind off it? I'll arrange a trip. Just you, me, and Piper. No boys. We'll go see the hunters. You and Thalia can catch up. Sounds fun, right? We won't need to pack. I have a superfast horse. Won't be gone for long. No need to take any supplies. Maybe some money in case stuff goes wrong along the way and we need stuff but other than that, we won't need anything."  
  
"Hazel, I really appreciate the offer, but I'd rather not."  
  
"Why not? Would you rather be alone? Because if so, that's fine. We'll drop you off in the woods. But you are leaving this place for a while. I can practically feel the negative effects leading the camp is having on your mental wellbeing. Now get dressed. By the way, did you want me to tell anyone about this? I won't tell anyone you don't want to know."  
  
There was no escaping Hazel's little daytrip. She didn't want to be alone. She wanted the opposite. But visiting the Hunters is even worse.  
  
As to why, she couldn't tell anyone. Not even Hazel. Especially not Jason.  
  
"You can tell Frank and Piper, not Jason though. He'll feel like it's his fault."  
  
She got up and decided to wash up before getting dressed. Hazel went to find Piper.  
  
You've done it now, Reyna, she thought. No going back now.


End file.
